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THE DESCENT - 'not since ALIEN...' - 'a hardcore, pure, big balled horror film' - Man, can't see this soon enough!
Hey folks, Harry here with the latest word on THE DESCENT. Now - as sometimes happens - films can be over-shadowed by the events of their day. Neil Marshall's film opens in London & throughout the UK in the aftermath of true horror. In days like these, movies don't seem nearly the topic they regularly occupy in our lives - but dammit, to me, I refuse to allow the acts of madmen to quell my enthusiasm for my first love... film. It makes me proud to see folks in London braving the streets to see... well a highly anticipated horror film, the second film from a talent that with a micro-budget carved out a great first indie horror film out of DOG SOLDIERS. This time, he had more to play with and it seems he's made a film that has the lovers of spine-tingles and white-knuckles squealing with glee. But here... see for yourself...
Hi Harry,
You posted my review of Shaun of The Dead last year, so here's my 2 cents on the latest offering from Neil Marshall!
Now I personally loved Neil Marshall's last offering - Dog Soldiers, I thought it was one of the best comic horror movies I'd seen since American Werewolf in London, it had everything, blood, guts, scares, great comic timing - and it gave us (in my opinion) the most quotable marine type character since Bill Paxton's 'Hudson' from Aliens in 'Spoony' ("I ope I give you the sh*ts")
Going into 'The Descent', my expectations were so so, I'd heard great things about it - but how many times now has a promising director who nailed it on their first outing, gone and come up with a turd that wont flush for their 2nd feature. So.......how did he do????
Deep Breath
OH MY GOD!!! He only went and upstaged his first film by crafting the most tense film I have ever had the experience of seeing........not since Alien have I held my breath and gritted my teeth throughout a movie.
Ok - so here's the basic premise of the movie......... 6 ladies get together to go cave exploring (or whatever you call it?), but what they run into is a cave full of...............erm................I'm not sure, but there a nasty piece of work
The opening scene starts off with 3 of the girls white water rafting, and ends in a horrific accident............then we skip forward to a certain time in the future where the 6 ladies get together, we have the main character who's dealing with a loss in her life, her best friend (the calm one), we get 2 sisters (a student doctor & expert cave explorer), a wild child dare devil type, and a Chinese girl who is leading them on this adventure and in my book, she steals the show for me (she reminds me of young Lucy Lui).
There are dozens of things that I could praise about the film, but cant as I don't wish to spoil it for you all, but believe me when I say you will cringe (leg...bone...blood........self made splint....need I say more), and you will jump (the first time the WHOLE group encounters one of the creatures - oh my god, the girl behind me jumped up so high I swear she landed on the row in front of me. Even myself who doesn't scare too easily........well I will admit that I jumped at least 5 times, and judging by the audience I saw it with, i'm thankfully not the only one.
So.............are the any bad things to the movie I can hear you asking. Well............hmmmm from my opinion - no...not a one, but I suppose there will be people out there that might have trouble with the ending. But for me, I can honestly say that this is the most tense and frightening films I have seen for some time now. I only thank the lord that its a British film and we get it now rather than later.
If you us this then call me G-Man
Then there is this one...
Hey Harry,
Ok I just got round to writing this review of Neil Marshall's new horror film. Boy, it's a doozy.
I have a friend who works for a UK film mag (not the one you guys are thinking of). Anyway he called me up and said I could get to a screening as someone pulled out.
Now I am a massive fan of Dog Soldiers. I saw that film on it's opening night and was really blown away by it's audacity and great sense of fun. Hell even Sean Pertwee was good.
I'd heard about this film from Marshall's monthly column in TF and have been looking forward to another fun, boisterous romp with mutant cave dwellers.
I WAS WRONG
This film isnt fun or boisterous. It's harsh, disturbing and above all brutal. Really brutal. It's a survival horror film like Dog Soldiers, but this is the evil mirror universe version.
We start off with a big shock (that I wont ruin) that sets a grim, dark tone for the rest of the film. After this one shock Marshall slows the pace down and takes us off to the Appalachian Mountains with a nice Shining style credit sequence.
The film takes it's time to set up characters, relationships and also gives us a tease, character-wise, as to what to expect when we get underground. When the creatures do appear the brutality and fear never stops. Thers are so many great touches in the movie, great slo-mo which doesn't feel cliche, wonderful tracking shots that ramp up that nervy twitching fear for the audience. We really feel for the characters. The deaths are sometimes quick, sometimes horrifying but all of them hit you hard in the gut.
The best things about this film are the super creey atmosphere that pervades everything before the descent and the pure primal horror afterwards. And nothing is better than seeing these girls start getting there own back.
Best of all, for me at least, was the knowledge that Marshall has made a hardcore, pure, big balled horror film, not some lame ass teens in terror flick. Put this film with Haute Tension (ending aside) for gore and suspense and a real return to 70's style horror.
Tony(liberal pussy)Wilson
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i call it bitches. this movie will suxors.
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Bring it on!
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Saw this one last night with my sister. I normally loathe horror movies (unless they're genre crossovers, horror/action or horror/comedy), but I went to see this as Doggys is up there with Shaun of the Dead for best Brit Flick of the last 10 years. Neil Marshall is a guru. Just one reservation, though, the characters are a bit shit, and I get the horrible impression that the first viewing really does give you everything. It's a very, very shallow film, and having seen it once, I'm not sure I'll need to see it again until I've forgotten the entire thing in a few years' time. If I buy the DVD at all, it'll be for the extras (I want to see more of those crawlers!).
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...for thinking little of this movie - I was lucky enough too see it Wednesday however it really made no impact with little characterisation that I cared for and few real twists or scares. Still, great to know I may be in the wrong here and I geniuinely hope there are tons of people out there who will like it as I do wish to see Neil develop.
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I didn't care for the characters. The monsters were overused too soon and to compare it to Alien is ridiculous. It's fine. Nothing astonishing but perfectly fine.
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Jul 09, 2005 6:54:25 AM CDT
I'm glad to see Tony Wilson can take a stand on something!
by vikingkitty
Kudos to you, Tony.
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yeah the opening scenes are a bit like a tampon ad but soon, soon it gives way to the most frighteningt thing ive seen in years; not just terrifying in the cinema, but on the walk to the car, the drive home, during a restless nights sleep... absolutley fantastic.
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Jul 09, 2005 7:18:00 AM CDT
Please, its from the ass who brought us 'Dog Soldiers'
by burlivesleftnut
Which I guess he deserves some kind of credit for actually MAKING A MOVIE, but that is as far as my appreciation for him goes. Because Dog Soldiers was fucking terrible, straight to video level stupidity. I can't believe this movie is now being hyped the way it is. Excuse me while I vomit.
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or maybe not, what do i know?
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I dunno. I read this, got excited, headed over to Netflix and pulled up the reviews of Dog Soldiers from "fans". Based on their comparisons to American Werewolf in LONDON, and The Howling, it sounds more like they are delusional. Both those films suck balls, so it doesn't convince me to see Dog Soldiers, let alone the director's second film. Why is it horror fans are so easily pleased? Most of their fanboy favorites are utter trash that aren't worth sitting through. I guess since there are so few quality horror movies, you take what you get. But that is no reason to hype it up for others. I'll probably check this out when it's on DVD, though. Sometimes, a bad horror movie can be a guilty pleasure. We'll see...
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shut up, whore.
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@TeraBaapKGaan How can you even find that funny, you fucking insensitive bastard. fuck the hell out of you, fucking fuck
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I meant the comparisons to American Werewolf in Paris, which sucked. London, however, is a classic.
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to swing acting work for all his relatives, lol.
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Dude, seriously, just do us all a favor and end your life. Just spending your days trying to get a rise out of people, that's not a worthy endeavor. What you should be doing is pulling your Dad's dildo out of your ass, going under your parent's bed, and find that gun he's hiding. You know, that gun your grandfather gave him, after he raped that cat, to prove he was a real man. I want you to put that gun in your mouth, pretend it's a cock, (if it will make you feel any better), and pull that trigger! Don't do it for me, do it for yourself. P.S. Dog soldiers was terrible.
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At least qualified ones. I'm so tired of big budget films that are shit, since we only get a few of them. What happened to a studio making 15 small films, rather than 2 big ones? The ratio of shit is just expanding because we have so few choices. Which is probably why I applaud Lions Gate, and I wish more little splinter companies would follow their pattern. Although maybe one company can cover comedies, one can cover dramas, one can cover "gritty" action. But, that'd be bliss, and when do we expect bliss?
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Jul 09, 2005 7:54:48 AM CDT
Gravitas, TeraBaapkGaan, is spreading his virulent filth on the
by krullboy
and he is gladly getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter
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Jul 09, 2005 7:58:18 AM CDT
BanthafodderUK, CptsKirks2Pay, Tony Wilson, John Locke, Guy Fawk
by krullboy
are you guys all OK? I believe you all live in the UK, some in London, and just wanted to make sure. Fuck those cowards that attacked the Tube; there is a special place in hell for them all
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Amazing...the trailer was unimpressive - Alien meets Pitch Black meets The Abyss. I was waiting for them to tell me one of the team was a Navy SEAL.
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...the only flick I'm ashamed to have NetFlix'd -- and this coming from someone who just turned in Richard Donner's "Timeline"!
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I thought they were talking about The Cave until they said it was about 6 girls. These movies seem to be exactly the same premise...monsters in a cave and all that. I thought that The Cave looked like it was going to be another shitty action/horror in the vein of Resident Evil. Hope this one is better than that, at least.
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I'm not sure if I'll dig "The Descent" or not, but I like what I've read so far. For the record, I never watched "Dog Soldiers," but any film that remotely compares to "Alien" gets my attention. We'll at least get some carnage and claustrophobia. For the record, I'm not a fan of the PG-13 rating. In fact, I hate this rating with all the guts and bile I could ever muster. Drama is less intense, in my opinion, and horror is less freaky scary. Can you imagine "Alien" or "Terminator" with a PG-13 rating? Exactly. The fear you feel while watching a quality R-rated film is earned and gut-level, not the teasy weasy, no-blood xerox copy of fear. How much scarier would movies like "War of the Worlds" or "Alien vs. Presdator" have been with an R rating? With a good director and writer, much. I realize there are many considerations when deciding how graphic or intense to shoot a film, such as budget and demographic appeal, and I understand some movies may have earned more money because they receieved a PG-13 rather than an R rating, but nevertheless I still abhor the PG-13 rating. Give me either a well-made PG film or a hard R film, not this drama-killing, teenage-friendly fog of faux coolness. I'll go see "The Descent" for the caves, the crawlers, and hopefully the twisted creativity behind its R-rated production.
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"Shaun of the Dead" was shit. "Alien" was shit. "American Werewolf in London" was shit. "The Exorcist" was shit. My taste in film, music, television and lieterature is infinitely superior to yours. You are all mindless fools and everything you like sucks donkey-ass. I am not fun to talk to at parties. I am insensitive to others and have a difficult time forming long-lasting relationships. I hide my insecurity behind a shield of cynical "coolness". I am secretly lonely.
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I still firmly believe that AvP could have been a good movie if the studio had the balls to ask for a hard R rating and gone right back to the basic claustrophobic scares of the original Alien, rather than a movie made for the MTV-fuckass generation by that HACK FUCK. In The Descent, you could replace the creatures with Giger's Aliens and it could have become a movie to cream your pants over. Also, you might be creaming your pants over some of the females in this picture. It takes balls to have an all-female cast like this. Anyway, The Descent was definitely more intense than I was expecting it to be (it gets an 18 rating in the UK!) and is worth seeing once I would say.
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Sorry for your predicament, man. You seem to have the same disease contracted by a lot of talkbackers on AICN. Taking your meds with several beers will provide some short-term relief. I am Mafu, M.D.
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Ok, I haven't posted a review before so I'm not sure if it's good from to talkback about it too.
Anyway just wanted to say I'm not a plant, but I was rooting for Marshall to deliver. For the people who hated Dog Soldier, you should still give this a try it is a very different beast (sorry) to that movie.
I'm ok thanks krullboy. I work for a logistics firm near Russell square but I was off work on Thursday by fluke. I spent some of yesterday helping the emergency services who were bringing bodies up from the undeground. But I must pay tribute to all the people who are doing their very best on the tracks. I went down some of the way yesterday with one of the teams....I can't describe how bad it is there. -
Dog soldiers was done quite well - In my opinion, any shortcomings of the final product came from a lack of budget, not bad direction. Most lower budget horror films make up for no money by adding humor or gore or both. Example #1: "Tao of M" hired Tom Savini wannabe Matt Green to handle special FX makeup = Vampire gore galore - well done . Example #2: "Pinata Island" added Nicholas Brendon (who is VERY talented normally) and humor = hunk of crap film with a dwarf in a suit.
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...Thanks for your concern mate. Me and Banthaflubber are both alive and well and causing absolute hatred and havoc on these TBs. Wasda matter wid yoo? Ain't you checking these TBs for the dates ater 7/7? The TBs for Fantastic Four and Wedding Crashers has me and Bantha creating absolute verbal violence, stupidity and hilarity there man. For what I've posted, never before has the word 'chair' sounded so funny. Oh, and John Locke's there, kissing our arses too.
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before the hyper cutting style started to drive me nuts. Film seemed cut to a metronome -- every few seconds, regardless: CUT.
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because of that stupid The Cave movie. That movie and Stealth are up there with the worst looking movies of 05.
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I watched DOG SOLDIERS on the Sci-fi Channel. Visually decent, just horribly written and poorly acted. I'd probably watch THE DESCENT if it's on TV and there's nothing else on. But I'd have to be really bored. I'd be willing to bet this is better than THE CAVE, though. Ewwww.
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Jul 09, 2005 11:49:03 AM CDT
Tony Wilson & CptKirk's 2pAY, glad that you guys are OK. . .
by krullboy
I've been off the radar, as I have moved and started a new job. I am glad that you are all OK. Tell BanthafodderUK I said hello.
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DOG SOLDIERS was in no way a "great" flick. It was a servicable B movie on a par with MANSQUITO and SABERTOOTH or any of the other low-budget monster movies the Sci-Fi channel is bankrolling. And there's nothing wrong with that. But don't try to make it into something it's not because you just end up losing all credibility.
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Optimistically speaking in regards to both films
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ALIEN is not the scary. Well-crafted, yes. Creepy too. But I don't believe anybody who says they "grinded their teeth" through that movie, and I can rattle off three dozen movies that are much scarier, without much thought.
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I'm always a bit shocked when I read about people hating this film or only thinking its ok. I love it and everyone who I know has seen it and loved it. Maybe it's a British thing. Who is British and doesn't like the film?
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...for the time when it came out back in 1979. How old were you J.L.? Now... there are so many ALIEN & ALIENS clones... that the originals pretty much don't have the same impact they had when they first came out. But they are both still two of the classic sci-fi/horror (action) movies.
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Alien is one of my all time favorite films. I've loved it since I was 9. However, I'm not sure I've ever been scared by it. I've been the chest buster is classic horror in the since that it horrified me. The face hugger and the sleeping hand in the lifeboat made me jump for years
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Me personally I thought Dog soldiers was total balls,it didn't work as a comedy or a horror.Baring that in mind,the only reason I actually went to see this was due to the positive reviews it was getting from trusted UK sources like the Total film and Empire mags.And i'm glad I did see it now,as it was easily one of the most gory,jumpy, disturbing horrors i've seen for years.It wipes the floor with any of those cacky jap horror remakes that the US continuously throws our way.I must've did at least 6 whopping,heart attack inducing jumps throughout the flick,it was some kerrazy shit.And the gore levels were mental
''Spoilers!!!!!!!''
From what I can remember there was...
A metal pole through the head (of a 10 yr old girl).
The grotesque leg snapping.
Intestines grapically being eaten from one of the chicks,whilst alive obviously.
A throat ripped out.
A climbing axe through the neck.
Both eyes poked in with thumbs(the most gruesome scene).
An axe in the leg
Chunk of neck bitten off
And a nose bitten off one of the crawlers.
There was more,but I cant remember them now.But it was alllll good!
Ohhh and the ending,could it be any more depressing??
Anyway 8.5/10 from me.Highly recommend it to you guys. -
The Shining, Rebecca, The Exorcist, Jaws, The Sixth Sense, The Haunting (1960 version), Ringu, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Manhunter, Friday the 13th, Friday the 13th Part 2, Rosemary's Baby, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Jurassic Park, Stephen King's IT, Gaslight, Les Diaboliques, Seven, Halloween, Signs, The Hills Have Eyes, Sleepaway Camp, Kalifornia, Misery, Last House on the Left, Psycho, The Hitcher, Notorious, Donnie Darko, The Night of the Hunter, Cape Fear, Dracula (1931), Bram Stoker's Dracula, Silver Bullet, Carrie, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre....EVERY ONE OF THEM IS SCARIER THAN ALIEN.
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Jul 09, 2005 1:00:26 PM CDT
the acclaim this film is getting is starting to depress me
by captain katanga
there must be something wrong with me, but its SHIT... weak dialogue and acting, cheap jump scares, women rolling around fighting man sized gollums, choppy editing. comparing it to alien depresses me, its ripping it off, badly, using the same cheap scare tactics almost 30 years later. You have all seen this many times before, done better.
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You just invalidated your entire existence.
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Probably not the best time to release a film about underground horror in London. I was near the bus bombing on Thursday and I'm pretty sure there was a Descent poster with a quote like 'sheer terror' on the side of the bus. Anyway, I saw the film this afternoon and enjoyed it. Seemed to go for gruesome rather than eerie, though. But still, great to see British horror movies (and I include The League of Gentlemen's Apocalyse here) doing well again.
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And Cpt Kirks 2pay you wife beating person you, when have I tried to kiss your arse, unless you are also Dino De Laurentis who admittedly makes me laugh sooo much I've had the urge to tell him countless times that his online persona is pure genius. Go and recreate Ong Bak with your Fiancee or whatever. BTW this film looks really good and I hope it lives up to the hype. I just saw WOTW and I thought it was almost on par with Jaws as Senor Spielbergos best. That guy ripping open the Windshield with his bare hands was fucking sick.
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The movie is about werewolves
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Albert Finney stars, made in 1981. I've not seen it yet but I'll still recommend it. Tony Wilson I didn't think Dog Soldiers was Great, I enjoyed it in the cinema but it doesn't hold up to repeat viewings.
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http://www.thehollywoodnews.com/article/10060502.php
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I would flat out disagree with the Sixth Sense, Jurassic Park, Manhunter, Donnie Darko, and Friday the 13th Part 2. I full heartedly agree though about The Shining, Exorcist, Carrie and Texas (one of the few films I
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Quickly Robin! To the Rentmobile! Peace.
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Jul 09, 2005 2:04:53 PM CDT
Dog Soldiers was one of those pleasant surprises a few years ago
by moviemaniac-7
And I hope that Marshall has done it again. Surely seems like it.
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If I remember its more of a demonic dogs avenging the desecration of ancient tribal burial grouds type movie. And I loved it as a kid. Another Albert Finney movie I liked as a kid? LOOKER.
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Shit, I WISH I could put that fucking ending aside.
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Or am I totally confused? Wasn't The Descent about demon like humans that lived underground? Now that was a fucked up book. Kinda like Michael Crichton crossed with john carpenter. It would make a hellacious mini serious on hbo or showtime. And yes. I just used the word hellacious.
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its 1st class, low budget high quality entertainment imo
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didn't hammer do a good werewolf movie?
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Anyone who doesn't like Dog Soldiers is an ice-hearted, humorless, Premiere-reading asshat. Can't wait for The Descent. Oh, and TeraBaapkGaan is a miserable, smegma-eating fucktard in dire need of a severe beating with a gravel-filled rubber hose.
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Oh well it was fun while it lasted a british director making good low budget movies. I guess he will do the "outpost" (I think that is the name of the movie correct me if iam wrong) and then he will move over to america and get all blinkered and greedy and all will be lost...........
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Yes, exactly mate, 'cos I just came from watching the film for the 2nd time, and this is on my own, on a Saturday night. Although inevitably the impact of the film diminishes the 2nd time, 'cos I know what's coming and though I don't regard the film overall as THAT great, yeah I can see why you put it on a par with Jaws. I do think it's a fantastic experience to be in whilst watching it, not many films I would actually regard that highly to label as an 'experience'. Film is so damn exciting and scary, very intense. When I was watching that guy ripping open the windshield adn not giving a fuck about cutting up his hands, you got the sense of the craziness and depseration to survive that the humans had been reduced to all of sudden. Showed how small the aliens had suddenly made us. I was thinking about how that is one of the classic Spielberg imagery that this film contained. So, you and I DO seem to be alike after all. So maybe I won't throw chairs at you after all. I'm too busy shitting myself from that firework display outside, at least I hope it is, and not an alien invasion, and decide whether or not my outright perviness I've been experiencing all week for not going out, should make me accept my mate's invitation to go and hit a nightclub tonight and try to get loads of sex, even though I'm so pent up, I'll get into loadsa shit and start a chair throwing war tonight - all behind my wife to be's back.
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Does anyone know a release date?
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Blade 3 is one of the worst films I've ever seen, but it was worth it just for that insult alone.
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Quite why people are comparing dog soldiers to shaun of the dead i don't know. one was an original horror comedy the other being a piss take horror comedy, i'll leave you guys to figure out which film fits which description!! Now i'm yet to see The Descent but i will for sure but why the hate on Dog Soldiers!? IT'S FUCKING BRILLIANT!!! When I saw the trailer I thought it was going to be shit! Us Brits hadn't made a decent British film since Trainspotting. So was unsure when i went to see it! But i fucking loved it! For what it was it was almost perfect! "so if little red riding hood should show up with a bazooka and a bad attitude i expect you to chin the bitch"! Now i know not to expect Dog Soldiers Mk2 with The Descent but am looking forward to seeing it just coz of the director who is fresh and exciting. Hence why they should not have let Mike Newell direct Harry Potter '4'. He's too old and gonna fuck it all up!! Oh and Shaun of the Dead is awesome too!!
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'Twas the best film of the last five years (Midnight Run-style pause) for me.
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Jul 09, 2005 7:11:58 PM CDT
I am leery of enthusiasm for certain films on websites. Especial
by mr. profit
Alien is a great fucking horror film. Aliens is a great fucking action film. Now this film may be good, but be careful when you compare new jack shit to old school classics. It seems like that is overdone on websites and it creates ridiculously high expectations, it also makes hard core fans go to the cinema ready to tear the film apart. If the film is good it's good. There is no need to oversell it.
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Jul 09, 2005 7:16:55 PM CDT
And Alien versus Predator would have been good if they took it s
by mr. profit
I mean wasnt the girl in the comic Asian? What was Lucy Liu doing? And Paul WS Anderson is a mess.
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You start comparing shit to Alien, it better be fucking brilliant. That's not a comparison you should make lightly. Step back, give The Descent 20 years or so, then we'll see if he holds a candle, or even so much as a match, to Alien. Somehow, I doubt it.
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Of course, we'll see if IT, not HE, holds a candle.
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That Mr. Woodshed is correct in saying that Dead Man's Shoes is the best film of the last...fuck knows when. God I can't think of a more intense performer since a young De Niro. I know that's bandied about a lot but I think it is deserved in Paddy Considine's case. I almost come every time he is on screen. A Room for Romeo Brass is an underrated classic. God bless us every one
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and I don't read Premiere magazine but I do occasionally read Empire magazine. Is this combination acceptable? ;) How ya been? I'm really looking forward to The Descent and Marshall's next after this.
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I agree. It's not a film to be compared lightly. I saw the head line and was given a bit of whiplash, but honestly, I've grown some thick skin when it comes to hype around here. I get excited when I'm actually excited about a film, not because someone tells me tobe. I might agree with Harry and Co. at times or share there glee at something coming out, but it is not them that shape it. Every once in a while they do entice me to pay attention to a film and reconsider my stand, but that's about it. Anyway, few films I love have aged as well (notably in sci-fi, horror, and monster genres) as Alien. Still as powerful now as it was the first twenty times I watched it. Also the only film I own three versions of (going on four). I still pick up Giger's Alien, flip through the pages, and say to my self over and over again... "DAMN!" Peace.
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...coulda done with a bit of the ol' Alien terrifying look to them. Not meaning the same look, but just their own, and more on a par with the fear that Alien gave us, and also in consideration to the PG13, it coulda still be done. They looked great and different relatively, but man, there was no monstrous Evil that Alien gave us. If they did, then it would've hit the movie out of the park on it's fear level, and not have let it down somewhat. What does anyone else think?
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Jul 10, 2005 1:23:30 AM CDT
None of these flicks are as frightening as Big Trouble In Little
by masht
Kurt's mullet gets scarier every time I see it.
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Cool. I liked "Up the Creek", and like chicks.
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Long time no see! As an answer to your question, I'm going to go ahead and say that liking one of the funniest, most gleefully schlocky and unashamedly gory B-movie horror flicks of the last decade coupled with the reading of the world's best all-round film magazine is a most righteous combination.
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hmmmmm the h.p.lovecraft tale Neosamurai85 refers to is 'The Beast in the Cave' (1905). So everyone is ripping off a hundred year old short story. The beast is a man and crawls on all fours, senses by sound and has white flesh. Yeah anyway thought was solid horror flick especially the accident at the start. Great scenes when the tougher females fought back and killed a fair few. I almost though they should have gone on to assault the crawlers lair. sigh it has to be said though - no tits.
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Maybe this is a personal thing but I can watch most horror unaffected but the prolonged sequences of the ladies pushing thru the very tight caves was horrible enough. I really hate that sense of clautrophobia. The minimal lighting, emphasis on sudden yet restricted movement and the loud breathing. The girls are struggling just to manouver in the environment before the really crazy shit happens. The gore at the end is great although the earlier "proceedure" made me squirm uncomfortably like haven't since the end of Audition. I have two pet hates/fears, getting lost in underground caves and brutal medical proceedures. This film hit both of my weaknesses and the effect was a horror film that got to me. Also gotta love it for being so spectacular with it splatter. At no point is it afraid to make you feel as dirty as the girls get.It has been a while since I saw something with the balls to be so visceral on a cinema screen. Before the flick was a trailer for Dark Water - in light of The Descent what is the point of this J-Horror remake seemingly about deficient ghostly plumbing in Jennifer Connelly's apartment block when you can have caves full of EVIL!
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Doesn't compare to classics like Alien, but Marshall gives it a bloody good go. Liked the nods towards Carpenter, Carrie etc. and there are a few bloody shocking moments that will make you jump no matter how bollocks hard you think you are.
Full review here: http://tinyurl.com/b2cxj -
I was hoping to get an insult from you today! It means I am living life right when the devil dislikes me so.
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When I first saw the trailer for "The Descent", I thought another teaser trailer to cover up a really bad film. Then I read the 5 Star review in the British Magazine "Empire" (Respected film magazine) so i thought this must be good. A soon as the film began I had to sit through some truly bad over enthusiastic acting. I didnt like them and wanted them to be knocked off from the start. There was one bit with some bats, which is probably the worst CGI since "Mummy Returns", Neil Marshall could have easily avoided this. The gore was quite good and the monsters werent bad but they looked a bit like Gollum. And now the ending. What is it with ending horror films these days, does anybody know how to do it? It reminded me of the film "High Tension" or "Switchblade Romance" as it is called here, fantastic 60 minutes and then they thought they would be clever with a stupid twist. Dont see this film, it is bad. Dont get me wrong I love horror films, and I loved Neil Marshall's "Dog Soldiers, but this was bad. Youve been warned.
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Saw the Descent on the weekend and thought it was a modern classic.
A Fantastic little British horror about a caving trip gone bad, very bad indeed. A sharp lean script, inventive plot and great use of the oppressive and dark setting. The naturalistic acting may not be to everyone -
Yah, Wolfen is a the good flick. Back inna day, it had a some pretty good "Wolf-o-vision" effects a too. Also, it a has a the good performance by a the Greg Hines, God rest his a soul. It gotta the severed head, anna the severed hand, anna it gotta the wolves too. What more canna you ask for, eh? Oh, anna those of you who a liked a my movie, The Silver Bullet? Thank a you, but really, the movie, she a sucked. I just a banged that one out for a the money. I mean, a come on, Corey Haim? What was I a thinkin? BWAHAHAHAHAHA!
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Saw Dog Soldiers on SciFi channel and I thought it was moderately better than the crap they usually show. It was very much a watch and forget movie. I have been feasting on horror movies for 20 years and found nothing memorable in Dog Soldiers. I'll give Descent a chance, but the amount of praise for Dog Soldiers makes me wary. Alien and Shaun both totally rock, however, as did Land of the Dead.
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that is, dividing all reactions, descriptions, and opinions in the reviews by a Cretin Factor of 4, the reliable review score here is about 2.5.
I'll wait to see what the English-speaking press has to say about it. -
Jul 11, 2005 3:07:01 PM CDT
Dog Soldiers was hardly better than any of the generic crap I se
by chickychow
I heard tons of jizzing over DS on this site probably a year before it got sent to sci-fi. I watched it, went "Eh..." and forgot about it. This site manages to overrate every-fucking-thing...
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Saw this last night. Very good. So far I've not had any cinematic disappointments this summer. With REVENGE OF THE SITH, BATMAN BEGINS and WAR OF THE WORLDS being the big hitters that all satisfied. My two 'wild-cards' this year so far have been KUNG FU HUSTLE and this movie, THE DESCENT. HUSTLE was out and out crazy and a more than a little silly, but hugely enjoyable with it. THE DESCENT was a horror movie proper, a rare thing these days. If your a horror movie fan then definitely go and see this, if you can take someone who you know is easily scared by such movies then make sure you drag them along with you.
So what's good about it?
**SOME SPOILERS AHOY** The FINAL DESTINATION type beginning plunges the audience straight in with an early shock and begins the feeling of uneasiness which will pretty much stay with you throughout the rest of the movie. After a brief 28 DAYS LATER stint in the hospital we move to a year later via THE SHINING to driving to a hut in the woods where more than enough horror movies have already been set. After a little chit-chat the ladies take themselves off to the caves in which we will remain for the rest of the movie. Got a friend that's easily scared AND claustrophobic? Brilliant, they're gonna love this. For a while we spend some time just caving with the girls, but with all the drops and tight squeezes (the less said about the slightly dodgy bats the better) the film runs along nicely without the need for any cheap CGI monsters to come along and ruin it. (cough...THE CAVE...cough...hey that's just impression from the trailer, it could turn out to be good too.) Fortunately the slow introduction to the creatures is very well done, delight in being the first to spot them creeping about in the shadows of the caves. Once the creatures turn up proper there's only a slight feeling of disappointment at their appearance being similar to naked Orcs (they needed employment after the LOTR Trilogy was over I guess.) It's also been said the creature looks very similar to Gollum in parts, mainly the first couple of shots of them really, and also that they resemble the creature in CREEP, another British horror flick set on the underground, but I haven't seen that one yet so I can't comment on that. Once the creatures are fully revealed (mainly non-CGI, hurrah!) there's no big wait to see them again. It's all full-on nasty bloody action and scares from then til the end, and good stuff it is too. A couple of homages to ALIEN and CARRIE and the exciting ride is over.
The movie isn't played with humour once the horror truly starts, there are no parts in it where you roll your eyes, and there are some nice gory deaths. What more could you want?
For the record, I had seen DOG SOLDIERS. It was okay, neither the kick-ass werewolf I still hanker for, (will AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON ever be dethroned?) nor was it the pile of poodoo that some talkbackers are claiming it was. It was if with DOG SOLDIERS the writer/director Neil Marshall didn't dare go all out horror without the fallback of humour, in THE DESCENT he had no such qualms. If only ALIEN VS PREDATOR had been more like this.
The only bit that jarred with me was the use of music identical to that used in John Carpenter's THE THING. I know it's only a matter of a couple of low beats repeated over and over but dammit they belong to THE THING. It's only played a couple of times in the movie but both times I expected R.J. MacReady to appear in his fur-lined hooded coat and with his visible exhalations and bright flare in hand tell the girls the way out of the cave system because "I just wanna get up to my shack and get drunk..."
This is a good one. Go see it.
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Go fuck yourself. Your inane sense of humor makes me sick.
Fucking piece of shit. -
I'm usally pretty good about not talking in films... but to my right my girlfriend kept jumping and to my left was my best friend (and drummer) finding everything that was being thrown at us funnier than a dead baby joke... and the row in front of us was filled with hooting and hollering types (they were actually pretty cool) fit to ride hogs, letting everyone know what they thought about engines and gernades. Anyway... I try and be cool at films, but when I saw those aliens pop up, under said conditions, my first thought was said at a volume I'm sure everyone heard... "Oh look, they're qute... AWWW!" My trio tried our best to keep quiet... but the faces were red, and the luaghter soon burst like a sloppy balloon. Peace.
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I just posted my review in the talkback for Harry's. Peace.
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Just watched it. This is THE BEST horror movie I have seen eons. Amazing acting! Amazing shocks! Amazing effects! Amazing tension! Amazing concept! This is like watching a 70's horror classic. It is brutal and unforgettable. I cannot wait to see this again. Thank you. Thank you Neil Marshall for making a truly GREAT horror movie. THE BEST FILM BY FAR THIS SUMMER!!! - New Neil Marshall fan.
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Descent is a decent if derivative movie. Six girls who virtually all look alike (especially in caving hard hats) get trapped in some caves and have to fight their way out against some very cheap looking cave creatures (men covered in white make up).
The scares are well done but the movie doesn't contain a single scene that you haven't already viewed a dozen times before.
The dialogue is mostly bad, cliched ridden stuff. There are no Ripleys in this movie, no stand out heroines deserve to come back for a sequel.
But all in all it is competently handled. No more, no less. No great revival for British horror.
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This will hit theaters in America, right?
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Thank you for you comments, good and bad!
I love THE DESCENT (AND DOG SOLDIERS), but then I would .... I'm Neil Marshalls girl friend, Holly. It's great that you all take the time to comment on the films he's made and we really do appreciate your comments whatever they may be!
All the best
Holly
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Tell your boyfriend that I would like to work for him.
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He's back from London tonight, I'll pass your message on to him!
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Jul 13, 2005 7:32:04 AM CDT
I saw it on thursday night, and thought it was pretty damn good.
by weshtery
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...for godsakes someone give the man a bigger budget. Neill obviously has the hots for monster movies, (isn't his next project about zombies on an oil rig?!?)but it must be heartbreaking for the man to continually trying to stretch the budget to meet his vision.
Who knows, if he keeps this up, Neil Marshall could be the man capable of breathing new life into the Alien franchise. -
Neil has already written some great scripts (for future development), we
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Cheers for the message. My site: www.galleryofthebizarre.blogspot.com
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Just looked at your website, wow, some great work! I also noticed that one of your favourite films is Raiders of The Lost Ark! That is in fact Neil
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I'm glad you like my art. I am actually a Brit, as well. I grew-up in the film/television industry here.
I must say that I was absolutely blown away by The Descent. Neil has definitely got a great future ahead of him. He reminds me of Peter Jackson. -
...I don't have a problem with Neil making lower budget films - he seems to deliver regardless. It just pains me to see stuff like Fantastic Four get made on a budget that dwarves his what he has to work with.
Cheers for the reply, and say hello to the man. -
This film is rather excellent with brilliant shocks in it. But the best bit, which may or may not be intentional, is that towards the end I realised that from a certain point of view, the cavers are the monsters and the creatures are the innocents under attack.
Regards,
Eduin -
I'm curious if you know if the Descent will be released in the
theaters or direct to video?
thanks,
robert negrin -
Settling a dispute: any takers on what accent Beth is using in this flick? (the girl who gets a pickaxe through the neck...)
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I'd say north London accent!!
Who won the bet then and what is the foreit? -
Ahh, the forfeit is nothing sordid I am afraid - a mere cake.
Thanks for your input (but damn you all :) )... I did see on IMDB that she was "raised in Cornwall" but buggered if I thought she sounded English. I am too ashamed to put forward my guess here.... ah, my big mouth. Dammit must see the movie again! Perhaps she has lived overseas? -
Wow. I don't understand how so many people think this was a great horror flick. It was terrible.
Well, unless you're the weak-ass "Scream"-loving type who thinks weird noises and jump-scares constitute a good horror movie. Then I guess it was genius, because they basically hit you with a bunch of BOO! moments and followed up with the creepy noises of Bat Boy from the Weekly World News, as he and his extended family hunted down characters I couldn't give a shit about.
I'm having a hard time seeing "instant horror classic" amidst the cheeseball acting and cheapass jump-scares. Seriously, this movie was the terror equivalent of being in a dark room and having your little brother pop up yelling "Boo!" not one, not two, but a few dozen times. LAME.
Anybody who thinks this is good horror is obviously a timid creature who has never seen anything truly frightening, and apparently hasn't seen the thousands of movies that did this same formula before, and better.
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